Hi, four weeks since last chemo cycle, and now at least able to be pleased about it. The two weeks after the last round was awful, plus a cold turned into bronchitis. My nails are the main problem at present, appears that I will lose at least two, maybe more. Any advice on care for nails once they come off? Also I have put on weight - I am at my heaviest ever so any advice if the weight comes off easily, ie is it fluid retention from the steroids......or any thoughts. Appreciated. X

Congrats on finishing chemo, yay! You will probably find that if you lose a couple of nails (I lost a thumb nail) that there will be a fair bit of new nail already underneath. I did not do anything special except keeping them clean and out of the washing up water. Weight wise, I put on some too, but it has all come off along with a further 6kg which I have maintained for the last 6 months without a problem, even though I am on tamoxifen. I made small changes to improve my healthy eating and exercise everyday. At first I just started walking and kept increasing the distance until I now do 5km everyday. I also swim. The main thing is to do what you enjoy. The best thing i did though was to see a physio who designed an individualized recovery program for me. It only takes about 20 mins but I do it EVERY day. Just give yourself time though and start gently. It took me a good 6 months to lose the weight but I feel better than I have in years now! Good luck with it! Deanne xxx

Many thanks Deanne, appreciate the advice. Yes I am taking it steady but the weight came on so quickly I want it to go that way too lol. Hopefully Tamoxifen wont put on more weight. Susan

Thanks Rosanna for the reply, appreciate the advice. Yes my hair has been a major concern too.......starting to get some stubble but coming back grey, but better than nothing. S

Hi Susan, Weight gain was a problem for me too during chemo. I started at 68kg in Feb, and went up to nearly 78kg by the end of my 12 wks of TCH in July. Some cycles I weighed myself before chemo, and then the day after found I had shot up about 6kg. It would then slowly drop a couple of kilos through the cycle, but when I had my next treatment it would still be higher than the start of that cycle. I tried to be careful during chemo, and think I would have put on a lot more without my daily walks.But I also didn't want to suffer any more than I was already suffering, and depriving myself to lose weight did not seem possible. I tried to eat reasonably healthily. Also, a lot of people talk about putting on about 20kg or more, so 10kg is not to bad. At the end of the chemo I discussed it with my Oncologist. She said that at that point part of my weightgain (about a kilo) was fluid retention and the rest was fat. I think it was caused by the food I ate when going through chemo. Sometimes, I really wanted comfort food, and when I had diarhoea I ate a lot of white bread and cheese to slow my digestive system down, and when I had constipation I snacked a lot on dried fruit. So now I am trying to get down to 62kg which is my ideal BMI and my oncologist recommended this as healthy for me. I am now down to 65-66kg. I lost the weight by walking for about an hour each day and dropping to 600calories a day for 4 days in the middle of each Herceptin treatment cycle. Dropping to 68 kg was quick: a kilo each "fast" but then dropping down below my setpoint is harder, slower, and I tend to jump up a kilo if I eat a tiny slice of Christmas cake or eat one chocolate when I am not fasting. I am determined to get there, and it is much easier once chemo is over. good luck and best wishes

Many thanks Jessica, appreciate your advice. My saving grace I think is that I am tall, so have gone from 70kg to the 75kg, but that is the heaviest I have ever been. I just didnt feel like walking during the chemo so think that has gone against me and true I comfort ate too. When my mouth was at the worse I had a couple of days or just yoghurt and ice cream. am hoping that now I have dropped back to less calories and exercise each day, it will move. Thanks again.

After Chemo side effects | BCNA Online Network

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Susan1967
Member
11 years ago
Many thanks Deanne, appreciate the advice. Yes I am taking it steady but the weight came on so quickly I want it to go that way too lol.

Hopefully Tamoxifen wont put on more weight.

Susan
Deanne
Member
11 years ago
Congrats on finishing chemo, yay! You will probably find that if you lose a couple of nails (I lost a thumb nail) that there will be a fair bit of new nail already underneath. I did not do anything special except keeping them clean and out of the washing up water. Weight wise, I put on some too, but it has all come off along with a further 6kg which I have maintained for the last 6 months without a problem, even though I am on tamoxifen. I made small changes to improve my healthy eating and exercise everyday. At first I just started walking and kept increasing the distance until I now do 5km everyday. I also swim. The main thing is to do what you enjoy. The best thing i did though was to see a physio who designed an individualized recovery program for me. It only takes about 20 mins but I do it EVERY day. Just give yourself time though and start gently. It took me a good 6 months to lose the weight but I feel better than I have in years now! Good luck with it! Deanne xxx

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After Chemo side effects

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